Other Common Uses for Magic
by spanglemaker9
Summary: Killian has been looking forward to his first proper date with Emma for a long time, but she's got a little something to give him before dinner.


"You look…." Killian trailed off, his eyes skating down Emma's body and back up, because there were just no words for how lovely she was. Her dress… pink and silky and like nothing he'd ever seen her in. Her hair…. That glorious golden hair curled into a tumble that just made him want to bury his face in it. And her shoes… they definitely did not have shoes of that sort in The Enchanted Forest. They made her so much taller, and what they did to her legs was sinful. The fronts were open and he could see she'd made her toenails bright red. Such an odd little detail and yet… looking at her bare toes and that peek of red made something stir deep inside him, somewhere in the vicinity of his groin. She was so, so beautiful and she'd done this for him, for their "date". The idea that she'd gone through this effort to please him made something else stir, this time in the neighborhood of his heart.

Emma shifted and smirked. "Lost your tongue there, Killian?"

She knew just how lovely she was, and her sexy bravado brought back his own swagger, which he'd momentarily lost when she opened the door for him.

"Perhaps. But I'm wagering you'll help me find it again."

Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. Pink stained the tops of her cheekbones. He reveled in making her so flustered.

He leaned in until his mouth was just an inch from hers. "Care to help me look, love?"

He really thought she'd laugh. Or roll her eyes and shove him away in mock disgust. That was what she always did. That was their thing. But she didn't do any of those things. Instead, she exhaled, hot and shaky, the air ghosting over his lips, and then she raised her hand, fisted it in the front of his nice new shirt, and pulled him to her.

He didn't immediately kiss her back, because he was shocked and surprised, and that didn't happen often with the opposite sex. It _never_ happened with the opposite sex. But in moments, his body had caught up to hers and he responded with enthusiasm. If she looked incredible, it was nothing to how she felt, a soft, silken armful of warm woman, pressed up against him, fingers delving into his hair, breasts pressed delectably to his chest.

This was meant to be a proper night out. He'd had every intention of doing it right. He would court her, woo her, show her a spectacular evening. Instead, he was in very great danger of hiking up the hem of her dress and having at it in the hallway of Granny's Bed and Breakfast.

"Swan," he murmured in the tiny gap between kisses.

"I know, I know," she muttered, sounding annoyed with herself and him, before she kissed him again and did something with her tongue which rivaled any erotic experience he'd had in his 300 years.

"We have to stop now or find a bed."

Emma stopped. And took a deep breath, which did nothing to help his obsession with her chest. She took a step back, letting the air get in between them and cool them both off a bit.

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry about that, lass. Never be sorry for that. It's just that we have plans and if we're going to keep them we should..."

"No, no. You're right. I just…" She trailed off, looking lost and slightly perturbed. He reached out with his good hand and ran his knuckle down her cheek.

"I know. That's how I always feel in your presence."

The corner of her mouth twitched up in a half-smile. Killian took a deep breath, banishing the last of his raging lust, at least until after he'd bought her dinner.

"Shall we?" He held out his left elbow, meaning for her to tuck her hand there but she didn't. She only stared at his arm, at his hook, and scowled.

"Killian…"

"Yes, love?"

"I've been thinking…"

"Nothing good ever starts with those words."

She shook her head. "No, it's not bad. Only… can I try something?"

He smirked and spread his arms. "Anything you like. Although we might have to cancel that dinner reservation if you get too creative."

Now she did roll her eyes at him. "Not that. There's something I want to try. I think I can do it."

He lowered his arms and nodded, because she was very serious about this, whatever it was.

"Of course, lass."

"You won't be mad if I don't get it right?"

"Well, I don't know what you're talking about, but why don't you just show me and I promise you I won't be mad, no matter how it turns out."

She took a deep breath, her eyes filled with apprehension. "Okay. Here it goes."

She reached for his left arm, her hands closing around his bicep. Slowly, she slid them down, her palms smoothing over the fabric of his shirt and his muscles underneath. Then he felt it, a low, warm tingle deep under his skin.

"Emma, what…"

"Shhh. I'm concentrating."

And indeed she was. Her eyes were closed and her eyebrows were knitted together. White light began to glow from between her fingers. Killian's whole arm sang with her magic. She slid her hands further down, until she was grasping his cuff. The glow intensified, and so did the burn. He fought the impulse to pull away. She'd never hurt him, he knew that.

Suddenly the burn flashed over, like a small explosion inside him. White light blinded him for a moment and there was a dull thud and a clatter, like something heavy had fallen to the floor.

When he opened his eyes, Emma was staring at his hook, her eyes wide. And when he looked, he saw why. His hook was gone. That's what he'd heard falling to the floor. And instead of his twisted and scarred stump was a hand. _His_ hand. Warm, real and attached to his arm without a doubt. He could feel air move across it, and the cuff of his shirt brush the wrist.

Holy hell.

"Gods…" he murmured, unable to take his eyes off it. He flexed the fingers… his fingers… and they moved. He made a fist, feeling his own fingernails cut into his palm. "Bloody hell…"

"Is it okay?" Emma said. "I'm sorry. I should have asked you first if you even wanted…. I can put it back. I can undo it. At least I think I can."

"No," he whispered, his voice scarcely audible. "Don't undo it."

His hand….it had been gone so long he scarcely remembered what having both had felt like. But he had two…. Good gods, she'd given him back his hand.

"Say something," she said, her eyes wide with anxiety.

"Emma…." He trailed off, unable to put the appropriate words together for what he was feeling. His bloody _eyes_ were burning. "I can't… I didn't…."

"Killian…."

"This is amazing," he finally said. Then he looked at her and the fear in her face cleared.

"It's okay?"

"It's more than bloody okay." He reached for her—with both hands—and pulled her into his chest. "No one's ever done something like this for me," he murmured into her hair.

"Good to know the stupid magic is good for something in this realm."

"Thank you," he whispered.

Emma drew in a deep, shuddering breath. "You're welcome."

He felt the words welling up in his throat, fighting to get out.

_I love you._

"I probably shouldn't say what I want to right now. At least not until after dinner."

But she heard him, even though they remained unspoken. "At least give me until dessert. Then I maybe I can say it back."

He turned his face so he could kiss her temple.

"You already did."


End file.
